Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic is a tale like no other, and it's a good start for a trilogy, but that's exactly what it feels like: a start. It doesn't really feel like it's its own individual story, but it's a set-up for a large story divided up into three parts. Here are the characters, and this is what they are all fighting over. In addition, the book has a few obstacles for readers to wade through including the characters and predictable plot, courtesy of the synopsis found on the back cover.
However, because the tale is so different and unlike most other fantasy books, most of the book's problems don't prevent readers from continuing to read and wanting to find out more.
Brief Synopsis of Ship of Magic
The entire book revolves around liveships and the concept of a liveship, which is a ship built out of wizardwood and becomes alive. The figurehead of the ship can move, talk, and practically sail the ship without any assistance from the crew. Only Trader families can have liveships, and liveships will only sail with a familymember on board. As such, usually family members make up the captain and first mate to ensure the liveship will sail and sail happily. Keeping a liveship happy is the most important rule to keeping a liveship.
The liveship in this tale is the Vivacia, who awoke when her captain died. Her captain unfortunately had no sons to inherit her, so she was willed to his son-in-law, Kyle Haven. This is an outrage to his youngest daughter, Althea Vestrit, who has been sailing on the Vivacia with her father for many years. Kyle will not let her sail on the ship with him since she is a woman, so he drags his first-born son home from his priesthood studies to sail on the ship and fulfill the familial requirements.
The end result has upset Vivacia. Her long time friend, Althea, has been taken from her and been replaced with a young man who has no interest in sailing and acts like being with her is a death sentence. To make matters worse for her, Kyle has decided to bring on board more angst in the form of slave cargo.
While Althea is determined to get her ship back, and Wintrow is determined to get away from the ship, a pirate captain, Kennit, has a determination of his own to do the impossible: steal a liveship and bend it to his will.
Where the Vivacia Sinks
The book is a bit of a struggle to plow through in the beginning because there are hardly any likeable characters. Everyone in the Vestrit family is incredibly selfish, so it's difficult to empathize with any of them about their current situations. The only human characters who are not selfish are Brashen Trell, because he's accepted what he's decided with his life and has made it the best he can, and Gantry, Kyle's first mate on the Vivacia, but he's too much of a minor character for it to matter. In fact, the only likeable and empathic Vestrit is Vivacia herself, and she's a sentient being made of wood.
It's also a bit unfortunate that the synopsis on the back of the book pretty much tells the whole story, eliminating most spoilers and surprises. Kennit does steal the Vivacia, Althea forms a plan to take her ship back from Kyle, and Wintrow is one hundred percent miserable on board. Perhaps the only surprise is the last few sentences of the book, when the reader uncovers Vivacia's own feelings about what is happening to her.
Where the Vivacia Sails
However, despite all of these negatives, it is rather refreshing to read a fantasy book not centered on an epic battle or a complex system of magic. Not only that, but the entire book emanates an aura of setting up the story of the entire trilogy instead of telling an individual tale. As a result, the end of the book -- as sad and as realistic as it is -- makes readers want to know what will happen next. If nothing else, they'll be curious what happens to Vivacia and what she decides to do.
Final Liveship Log
Ship of Magic is not a book easily recommended to all fans of the fantasy genre. Those who are looking for a unique story without the usual focus on warfare or magic learning may find Vivacia's story very refreshing. Readers just need to be aware that the book feels more like a set-up for the whole story, instead of an individual novel.
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, published in February, 1999
ISBN #: 9780553575637
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